We're Not So Different
by April Dawn Irene
Summary: Uncle Vernon has something in common with Voldemort, the pleasure they both take in torturing Harry. And Draco Malfoy isn't really the Daddy's Boy he makes himself out to be. Chapter 2 is Up!
1. Pain and Realizations

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize from the Harry Potter books is NOT mine and I am NOT making any profit off of it other than the good feeling I'll get when I read the reviews! Grinz Oh and if this sounds like something else you've read, don't scream at me, I'm trying my best to be original!

A/N: Usually Power Rangers and Digimon take up my writing time but I think I'll take a break from it and go on my renewed inspiration... looks at her 64 ounce cup of pepsi Please remember to read and review, of course, if you hated it, don't bother to flame, it doesn't make any difference to me, but I don't need to be wasting my time reading such crud. (Oh and if you have suggestions for the Title, go ahead and throw 'em at me!)

We're not so Different

Chapter One: Pain and Realizations

Harry Potter's fifth summer back from Hogwarts was far from over. Hardly a week had passed and Harry Potter: The Boy Who Lived, was out in the garden pulling out the weeds that hid from the sight of mere passers by. As The Order of the Phoenix had promised, Harry received letters from Remus Lupin, Nympadora Tonks, Mad Eye Moody, and several other Order Wizards including Molly Weasley and her husband. Harry groaned as tiny stickers from one particularly pubescent weed sliced into his hand. Uncle Vernon had insisted on overwhelming his nephew with too many chores to complete in the allotted timeframe. Considering the events that had brought his stay at the Dursley's to an end the summer before, Harry thought Dudley had taken a turn for the better. He had lost some weight but had a strange haunted look on him still, especially when Harry was in the same room. But the biggest change was that the blonde boy actually had started to be kind to Harry. He assumed that Aunt Petunia had talked to her son about Harry actually saving his life and that the sudden kindness was only out of a feeling of life debt. Harry, was of course, still underfed, only given the bare minimum. But Uncle Vernon had taken to blaming Harry for all of life's little inconviences, like when all the Grunnings lower employees had gone on strike for a raise in pay and healthcare. Chores weren't the only punishments. Last time Vernon Dursley had come home angry, He had gone straight to where Harry was and although the boy had been wide awake when the beefy man had barged in, teeth bared, he had left the room when Harry was unconscious and his breathing ragged.

"I DON'T CARE, THE MERE SECOND HE TURNS LEGAL HE'S OUT! I DON'T CARE WHAT THAT CRACKPOT OLD FOOL SAID IN A BLOODY LETTER." Harry knew all too well what Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia were arguing about. Uncle Vernon had told him that when he turned of legal age, that the doors of Number Four Privet Drive were closed to him, and he would not be allowed to return.

"VERNON, HE STAYS UNTIL DUMBLEDORE SAYS HE CAN GO! I DON'T WANT TO EVEN KNOW WHAT THE MAN WOULD DO IF WE THREW HIM OUT WITHOUT HIS PERMISSION! HE MAY BE A CRACKPOT OLD FOOL, BUT THERE ARE SOME LIKE HIM THAT ARE MUCH WORSE AND WOULD SOONER ATTACK THE HOUSE THAN THEY WOULD INVITE US TO TEA!" Harry could name a number of wizards and their families that would sooner blow Privet Drive to smithereens than invite any sort of Muggle to tea. Perhaps Aunt Petunia did know something about the wizarding world after all. Harry brushed the thought aside as he heard Uncle Vernon's footsteps heading for the door.

"Are you done yet, BOY?" he gruffly spat, pulling Harry up by the oversized grey shirt that he wore.

"Yes Uncle Vernon." Harry cringed, knowing full well what his Uncle's Intentions were.

"DON'T CALL ME THAT BOY! YOU WILL CALL ME SIR AT ALL TIMES, AND YOU WILL REFER TO PETUNIA AS MADAM. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"

"Yes... Sir..." Vernon threw him against the stairs.

"UP! GET INTO YOUR ROOM NOW!" Harry immediately started staggering up the stairs, hoping that he'd be able to avoid Vernon Dursley's wrath. He ran into the room and threw all his 114 pounds of weight against the door, praying Vernon wouldn't be able to get in. His prayers were cut short by the man throwing the door open, in turn making Harry hit the wall with a dull thud and a crack coming from his left wrist.

Several hours later, Harry Potter was to be found in the kitchen, cleaning the floor with a used toothbrush. Wincing painfully as he sucked in another painful breath of air, he continued to scrub the tiled floor. Petunia and Dudley had left while he had been unconscious only a few hours earlier, and Vernon Dursley was in the living room watching TV and stuffing his face with a bag of popcorn that he had popped for the bastard of a man under the threat that he wouldn't live to see September. His hands stung in complaint as the soapy substance he was using to clean made its way into the cuts and scrapes he had gotten in the garden.

"BOY!" Harry jumped at Vernon's booming voice as the man walked over. He could feel the vibrations of each footfall.

"Yes Sir?" Harry choked on the words as they poured out of his mouth dumbly.

"YOU HAVE A LETTER TO WRITE! AND YOU'D BETTER NOT TELL THEM!"

"I wouldn't dream of it, Sir." A large tawny owl flew over to the counter and Harry got up to untie the parchment that was tied to its leg.

_Dear Harry,_

_I know you don't like it at the Dursleys, but you have to stay there, it's only been a little less than a few weeks. You know you have to stay there. Even if there was something we could do, there's not enough of us to just come and get you every time you feel that we're abandoning you. Dumbledore insists that you stay two months at most. We're all afraid for your safety, but we can't put important business on the line to come and collect you right now. How are you doing? How's your Scar? Is there anything you need?_

_R.L. _

"I need to get a quill from my trunk, Uncle Vernon."

"NO, YOU WILL USE A PEN AND I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO CALL ME SIR!"

"You did, Sir, I forgot..." Vernon Dursley's hand hit Harry's head with brute force, knocking the boy to the floor. Tears threatened to fall from Harry's eyes, but he immediately thought better of it.

"THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR DISOBEYING ME!"

"Yes Sir, It won't happen again, Sir."

"FROM NOW ON YOU WILL CALL ME MASTER, AND IF YOU FORGET..." Vernon spat, a sadistic grin curling upon his lips. "YOU CAN SAY GOODBYE TO THAT BLOODY OWL OF YOURS AND TO ALL YOUR LITTLE FRIENDS, BECAUSE YOU WON'T SEE THEM EVER AGAIN!" The blood in Harry's face drained away as he realized what the oversized man meant by that threat. His mind went to the memory of Sirius behind that curtain in the Department of Mysteries, The death of Cedric Diggory, and many other deaths he had begun to witness in his sleep since he had returned to Privet Drive. That was one of the reasons that Vernon was constantly reminding him that he was only there because of Petunia being his Mum's sister by the constant chores that were guaranteed to cause him pain, and the daily beatings that he was subject to under his uncle's wrath. A small part of his mind screamed out that Vernon Dursley was the Muggle equivalent of Voldemort AKA Tom Riddle.

"Yes... Master." Harry gave up the internal battle that was waged in the comparison of him calling Vernon Dursley, Master and Death Eaters doing the same towards Voldemort. Both were subject to pain at their Master's whim, only a few minor differences stood clear and even then, that wasn't enough to get the dark thought out of Harry's mind.

A/N: Cackles Evilly I hope you liked the first chapter! Because it's only the start of something much more, I apologize for the shortness of it! And also the loooong paragraphs. I tend to let paragraphs run away from me! J/K. I'm probably going to get the second chapter done in less than an hour or so, depending on how long I want it... Well, you know the drill, read and review, just don't flame. I'm open to suggestions though. And typically, I don't need a beta reader because I have spell and grammar check on my computer! grinz wickedly


	2. Revealed Truths

A/N: Ok, here I am again! This time the chapter is focused on Draco Malfoy... shudders at the thought of all the ppl who have written HP/DM ships. Aye I am guilty of reading a select few, but I never actually leave a review, for my personal reasons. I am afraid that this is NOT a slashy Draco Malfoy Harry Potter Love fic. I only intend to bring the two around to be allies, if not friends. Beware, what you see is not always what you get... Erm, Also I don't remember too well what happened to Lucius in Book 5, So this may just be an AU if I discover that Lucius Malfoy was indeed caught by the Ministry!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything recognizable in the series of books. Everything else is out of my bloody imagination!

Revealed Truths

Draco Malfoy stared at the parchment in front of him. It was a list. A List of all the chores he was to complete before dusk, or rather, before his father got home. No, the real Draco Malfoy was no better than a common house elf, forced to slave over grueling chores that his 'Master' ordered him to do. Clean the dungeons? Really? What did the bastard he once called father expect of him?

"I expect them to be done when I return, Boy." Lucius Malfoy sneered at the younger blonde boy whose face was blemished by a dark bruise on his cheek.

"Yes Sir." Draco answers without question. It was too dangerous to question his father. Not now that he had become more dangerous than ever. Draco had begun to doubt that he would be returning to Hogwarts with the same attitude as he had in the previous years. He was disturbed that when he had returned to the manor for the summer that it was his mother that saw him off the train and to the house, not saying a word to him. Perhaps it was all some bloody nightmare, one that wouldn't just go away, no matter what he tried. It was no use.

Because of a certain Harry Potter, one who had once again survived the Dark Lord's wrath, his father had returned from the last few Death Eater meetings more violent than ever. It was mere luck that kept the Ministry out of their manor, but that luck was beginning to wear thin. Cornelius Fudge was hard pressed by Dumbledore to search the Malfoy manor. But still, Lucius had his ways and his influence over everyone as well as his persuading tongue.

Top of the list was an order to clean the dungeons. Ahh yes, the dungeons, Voldmort sometimes made Lucius bring his work home. The bastard would then end up killing the hostages after torturing them for too long. And Draco was forced to hear them scream at night, because his bedroom was in the dungeons now. It was grimy. The floors were caked with blood, sweat, and other foul things. But Draco placed the blame on a certain Dark Lord. It wasn't Harry Potter that was to blame for his foul living conditions. No, it was Voldemort.

Not the Day after the abuse from his father started, Draco had sworn to never allow the dark mark on his body, because the bruises he already had were enough pain. The boy walked into the main dungeon, where his father usually kept all his hostages. There were still bodies of prisoners long dead, their foul odor hitting Draco the minute he took in a breath.

'Clean the dungeons? With what? He knows I'm not allowed to use magic!' Draco thought bitterly to himself, then spotting a small toothbrush and an ordinary box of soap. For a moment, Draco considered cheating, using a simple cleansing spell instead. But he knew his father would know the difference because it was the Muggle way that he was expected to do so, though he had no idea how he would do it. 'Perhaps a charm to make the thing clean... So I can do the other things on the list? No... The ministry would detect that too. That's what he expects, for me to not even be done with the first one...' Draco shuddered when he realized his father would expect the dead bodies to be gone.

"I'm NOT touching those. They're creepy enough as it is." Draco said aloud, forgetting that he was indeed alone. He went to a sink to get water, only to have sludge pour into a wooden bucket that was already leaking. "Bloody Hell!"

Hours later, Lucius Malfoy returned home, walking at a brisk pace to the dungeons at once. Draco was still slaving away in the main dungeon scrubbing the floor with putrid sludge and soap, not getting much difference from earlier that day. 'Stupid Boy, expects me to think for him? He'll be learning a lesson tonight...'

"Boy! Why are the Dungeons not clean?"

"Because you have forced me to clean the Muggle way, with Muggle soap. And not to mention the sludge you call water that comes out of the dungeon sinks!"

"You have failed to do even one thing on that list, and for that you will pay the price."

"Yes Sir." At this Lucius Malfoy smacked Draco's already bruised face and took out his wand and pointed it at the boy.

"Crucio!" Lucius watched as Draco withered in pain, finally dropping to the floor. "Not enough eh? Crucio!" Draco was now convulsing in pain, reminding Lucius of a certain Harry Potter.

"You're such a waste of Malfoy flesh. Useless, bothersome. You have no spine!" He spat at the boy, waiting for him to plead his forgiveness and to ask for the pain to stop. But the boy only bit his tongue and kept his eyes closed. 'Just like the Potter boy... I'll put an end to this foolishness...' "Crucio! Now you'll listen, and do the job right! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!"

"Yes Sir." Draco croaked in reply, his head spinning from the pain he was in. His father could hold the curse on him for a long time. His muscles ached and his head throbbed as he struggled to keep his tongue, for if he did not do so, his father would chuck him out of the Malfoy Manor and disown him.

His thoughts flew back to Hogwarts as Lucius threw yet another curse at him. What would happen if he were to go back to Hogwarts? Would he still be respected by the other Slytherins? No, he'd be better off in Gryffindor, especially if he were to be disowned. If that happened, no doubt that the Slytherins would know right away. He wasn't the only one with a family member in the ministry.

"YOU ARE NOT WORTHY OF THE NAME MALFOY! CRUCIO!" his father screamed at him. He would not give his father the benefit of the truth that he was not the strong Malfoy he claimed to be at Hogwarts. Only his Potions Mark was guaranteed to be any good when the Owls came.

"Why should I allow you to live under my roof, let you wear clothes. You are no better than a common house elf and you should be living in rags!"

Draco could sense what his father's next words would be. It was a fear that he had had for many a year when he was younger and kept coming back home only to have his father complain that 'That Mudblood Granger' had higher marks than him. It wasn't his fault that he was unable to be the son his father wanted of him. He wasn't perfect, no matter what he tried to convince the entire school.

"You can't even get decent marks in your classes? And what will I hear when we get your owls? That Draco Malfoy only got one Owl, In Potions? Perhaps I should remind you that Potions is only one small part of the curriculum! I don't see any reason I should even allow you to live in this house!

"You will return to Hogwarts this year, but do not bother to come back for Christmas, nor for the summer, find some other place to go! I don't want you for a son! Why would I need such a good for nothing son when I have another who already excels despite the fact that he's not even of age to have a wand! One who can do wandless magic! When you set foot on that Hogwarts Express, you are no longer part of this family! Your... Brother will be going to Durmstrang, and there will be no reason for the other fools at Hogwarts to know him as your brother. I dare say few know he exists. Crucio! Or did you already blab that out?"

At this Lucius pulled Draco up and dragged him to the upper floors. "Make yourself presentable. We'll be going to Diagon Alley to get your things for school. You will spend the rest of your summer in your room studying. I'll send your brother's tutor to test you."

Draco was still shuddering in pain and barely able to walk. There was no way he would be able to go to Diagon Alley if it weren't for the vials of potions he kept handy. A few healing potions and a concealment charm would work wonders to keep his disguise. They made it to the wing of the house that was normally for Draco and his younger brother, Luke.

His brother looked just as much like their father as Draco did, and acted just as he and their father. But he was powerful. He was already doomed to serve the Dark Lord. He had been kept secret at Voldemort's orders. No child as powerful as he was could be out in the open. He already had the books that were required for classes up to fourth year, and this year he was supposed to be starting on fifth year work.

The wing they were kept in was protected from the ministry knowing that they were doing magic though they were underaged wizards. Luke would be turning ten in a few short weeks. Soon he would be of age to attend school. The lucky brat would no doubt be attending Durmstrang to learn the Dark Arts.

"Draco, you've returned?" Luke asked, a hint of mild concern hidden in his young voice.

"Yes."

"Drake, you don't have to act like that around me... I know what father does to you."

"So, what have you done about it?"

"I've talked to him. You know I can persuade him to let you stay if I so wish, brother."

"Who said I want to stay?"

"No one. But I want you to stay. Because I want you to teach me to play Quidditch. I want to be a seeker like you."

"No you don't. I can't even win against Gryffindor's seekers!"

"They have two?"

"They will once the ban is lifted by Dumbledore, no doubt." Draco grumbled. With his luck he would be chucked from the team because of his failures.

"You mean Potter and Weasley?"

"Yes."

"You're not bad if you can at least last twenty minutes against Potter you know. I'm sure you could sign onto a team. Just because Potions is your forte in school, doesn't mean you have to listen to father's insults."

"Why are you telling me this. You'll be in trouble with father if he catches you."

"He won't catch me Draco, what we say to each other in this room in private. I have an Impenetrable charm on the entire room." Luke said with confidence. "I can help you with it all. I know everything by heart."

"You're just like Granger."

"Draco, just let me help you. I don't want father to throw you out."

"How do you even know about that?" Draco spat as he drank a particularly strong healing potion to ease the pain.

"Here let me..." Luke muttered something and all the grime covering Draco disappeared and he was instantly changed into clean clothes. "I know a bath helps with the curse... but you need to get this done as fast as possible... I know Father wants to throw you out because I heard him talking with Mother about it. She doesn't want you to leave, Draco..." A sharp knock on the door was heard and their father's commanding voice came from beyond it.

"Are you ready yet?"

"Yes Sir." Draco said, opening the door.

"Luke, do you have the list of books you wanted?"

"Yes Sir." He handed a folded piece of parchment to the man. It had quite a long list of books on it as well as a request for potions ingredients and a few other things. One book stuck out on the list, **_Moste Potente Potions. _**

Draco recognized that book as one that Professor Snape had often talked about and also one he had seen Granger, Potter, and Weasley with at one point in second year. He looked at Luke with an odd gleam in his eyes. Luke winked at the older boy and bid them farewell as Lucius guided Draco away from the room.

A/N: Ok, I know, I know, it's still a little short. But I'm only Human! Please R&R, as it is only courteous to do so!

**_The Wolf of Were: _**I'm glad you love it, I think I know why too! You must love Harry Potter abuse stories... Please inform me if I have too many mistakes... I only have regular access to the third book, as it is the only one I own as of now!

**_ArtemisDracoRock: _**Yes I know the first chapter was short but I'm intending to write a chapter a day if possible. I am much better at doing it like that than spending a million years on a huge 20 page chapter. This one is 4 pages on Microsoft Word XP. I hope to Merlin that you like it! As I like to say, Quality over Quanity is always better. It's actually my motto when making friends! grinz


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